Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-07

and should have a tendency to
divorce as much and as fast as it can
safely be done, the treasury depart
ment from private enterprise. OF
course it is not expected that unneces-
sary and extravagant operations will
be made for the purpose of avoiding
the accumulation of an excess OF
revenue. Such expenditure, beside
the demo- alzat on of all just con, ep-
tons of public duty which it entails,
emulates a reckless improvideEce not
in the least consistent with the
mission of our peoi lie or the high and
beneficent purposes of our govern
ment. l have deemed it my duty thu
to bring to the knowledge OF my coun-
trymen. as well as to their represe 'ta-
tives, the responsibility of legislative
relief and the gravity OF the situation.
The failure Of Congress heretofore TO
provide against the dangers which it
was quite evident the very
NATURE OF THE DIFFICULTY
Must necessarily produce, caused
u condition OF financial dis
tress and apprehension sin G their
last adjournment, which taxed to
the utmost all the author ty and
expedients under executive control,
and these appear now to be eXhaus-
| ted. If disaster results from the con
tinued inaction of Congress, the
responsibility must rest where
| it belongs. Though the situation
thus far considered is fraug t
with danger which should be fully re.
allied, and though it presents features
of wrong to the people as well as to
the country, it is but result growing
| out of perfectly pdlable and apparent
cause. constantly rel duo NJ taes ln e
ALARMING circumsta' ces IA CON
gested National treasury and de-
pleted monetary condition of the bust
ness of the country. 1t need hardy
be stated that while the present situa-
ton demands u remedy, we can only
he saved from a predicament in the
future by the removal of the cause
our scheme Of taxation-by means OF
which needless surplus is
taken from the people and put into
the Treas ury. 1t consists OF the tariff
or duty levied upon importations from
abroad and internal revenue taxes
levied upon the consumption oil tobac-
and spurious liquors. 1t must be
considered that none of these things
subjected to internal revenue taxation
are, strictly speaking, necessary, and
there appears to be no just cause OF
complaint by the consumers of the
| articles, and nothing SO we'll able To
bear the burden without hardship to
any portion of the people. But our
present tariff laws, the various incqui-
table and illegal sources of
UNNECESSARY TAXATION
ought to be at once revised and
amended. These laws as their pri-
mary and plain effect, raise the prize
to consumers OF all articles impo ted
and subjected to duty, by precisel,
the sum paid for such duties. Thus
the amount of the duty measures the
ak paid by those who purchase for use
these imported articles; many OF
these things, however, are raised oI
manufactured in our country. The
duties now placed upon foleign goods
and products are called protective to
our home manufacturers, because it
is impossible for tho Q of our people
who are manufacturers to make these
taxed articles and sell them for
a price equal to that dema ded
for the imported goods Will GU
customs duty. So it happens that
while comparatively few use the i'm
ported articles, millions of our people
who never use, and never saw any o.
the foreign products, purchase and
use things of the same k nd made in
this country, and pay, therefore, near
ly or quite the same enhanced price
which the duty adds to the imported
articles. Those who buy imports give
the duty charged thereon to the public
treasury, but the great majority of our
citizens who bu domestic articles of
the Same class pay sum
at least approximately equal to
this duty, to the home man
ufactures. This reference to The
operation Of our tariff laws is not
made by way OF instruction, but in or
der that we may be constantly re-
minded OF the manner in which they
IMPOSE A BURDEN
Upon those who consume domestic
products as we'll az those WHO con-
sumo imported articles and thus Gre
ate tax upon all our people. 1t IS
not proposed to entirely relieve the
country oil this taxation. 1t must he
extensively continued as the source OF
the Governments income, and in a
readiustment of our tariff the interests
of American labor engaged IN
manufacture should be care
fully considered, as we'll a.
the preservation of our manufactures.
1t may be called pr tectioa, or by any
other name, but relief from the hard
ships and dangers OF our present tar
if laws, should be devised with es-
pecial precaution again-t importing
the existence of our manufacturing in
tercsts. Butthi5 eXi1 enCe should not
mean condition which, without re
gard to public welfare or n national
exisency, must always insure The
realization OF immense profits instead
of moderately profitable returns.
As the volume and diversity
of our national activities in
crease, so do recruits to those
who desire q continuation OF the adj
vantages which ey conceive the
present system of tariff taxation di-
reclly aft rds them. So stubbornly
have all efforts to reform the present
condition been resisted by those o.
our fellow-ciizens thus engaged, that
they can hardly complain OF the sus-
picion, entertained to certain extent,
that tbara exiSts an Oru9niZpd com hi
nation all along the line to maintain
this system to their vantage. We
are in the mid,t of centennial cele-
bration, and with becoming pride we
rejoice in American skill and inge-
nuity and American energy and en-
terprise, and the wonderful advan-
tages and resources developed by
cENTURY's NATIONAL GROWTH,
Yet when an attempt is made to justi-